President-elect’s future official residence still a mystery

CAIRO: The future permanent executive headquarters of President-elect Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is not yet known, but military experts predict it will be Ithadeya presidential palace in Cairo.

However, sources inside Ithadeya denied it will be Sisi’s headquarters according to Al-Shorouq.

The sources told Al-Shorouq that they have not received instructions to carry out renovations to the palace, but said the palace may be for limited government meetings.

There are four main presidential palaces in Cairo where the president could work from: Ithadeya palace and El-Tahra palace in Masr El-Gedida, Kobri el-Qobba—the largest of the Cairo palaces—in Saray el-Qobba and Abdeen palace in eastern downtown.

Despite the renovations underway at Kobri el-Qobba for the inauguration ceremony Sunday, sources inside the palace told Al-Shorouq that the new renovations at the palace are only enough to receive guests who will attend the inauguration ceremony.

Former Egyptian Intelligence Directorate official Sameh Seif El-Yazal, who still has strong ties to the army, told The Cairo Post Saturday that Ithadeya will be Sisi’s headquarter and ruled out Kobri el-Qobba, saying it had only undergone “simple renovations.”

Furthermore, Maj. Gen. Hossam Sweilam ruled out Kobri el-Qobba as Sisi’s headquarter, and told The Cairo Post Saturday that Ithadeya palace has better security measures than other Cairo presidential palaces. Ithadeya was also the primary executive headquarters of former Presidents Hosni Mubarak and Mohamed Morsi.

Concerning the family of the president, Yazal said the presidential palace is only for work and past presidents have not taken their families to live in the palaces where they work.

A security source told Al-Shorouq that preparations for Sisi’s residential headquarter began even before the presidential election, but did not clarify where.

Egypt has invited 22 countries to the presidential inauguration ceremony, but excluded Qatar, Israel and Turkey due to those countries’ “hostile stances” toward Egypt.